The Cleveland Guardians, after being down 15.5 games at one point during the 2025 season to the Detroit Tigers, are within just one game with a three-game series on tap against Detroit in Cleveland.
There's a chance that after the series, the Guardians can clinch the most improbable division title comeback in baseball history. But the path to get there was anything but easy. In fact, the Guardians faced an absurd amount of complications, especially with the gambling investigations for Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz.
In a recent piece from Zack Meisel of The Athletic, the journey to being within a game of the Tigers was detailed with incredible anecdotes. For the investigations into Clase and Ortiz, Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee's comments summarized the feelings of the team accurately.
Tanner Bibee shares reaction to brutal investigations into Clase and Ortiz
"It was a bit of a shock; it was so out of left field," Bibee said after Ortiz was placed on leave amid his gambling investigation. But, just three and a half weeks after Ortiz was placed on leave for alleged gambling, Clase joined him on leave for the same reason.
This hit came at an awful time for Cleveland, as the team was gearing up to trade the veteran closer at the trade deadline. Instead, rather than getting something back for Clase, he was placed on leave and hasn't pitched since.
The back-to-back losses of Ortiz and Clase were a brutal blow for the Guardians. After Clase's investigation, Bibee shared an updated take which mirrored the emotions of many within the Guardians organization: "It was so brutal it was kind of funny," Bibee said.
Losing Ortiz was already a huge blow, especially since it forced some frantic roster moves to fill his spot in the rotation. But the loss of Clase was the nail in the coffin, especially with the trade deadline right around the corner.
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Amid the trade rumors surrounding Clase and outfielder Steven Kwan, the end of July for the Guardians was a brutal time. The whole month was tough, as they lost two key pitchers in the middle of the year. Not to injuries, but to a gambling investigation.
While the team was winning some games in July, the two players going on leave were about as brutal as it can get. At least if they were traded, some value could be received in return to help bolster the club. Instead, both players lost for nothing.
Bibee's reaction, laughing through the absurdity of the situation, is one that many around the team had at the time. Ortiz's departure spent a lot of the Guardians' emotions, and Clase's subsequent investigation couldn't force the Guardians any lower.
While the two investigations were brutal for the Guardians, they've rebounded spectacularly and are now in position to challenge for a postseason spot, and potentially steal the AL Central title from Detroit.
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